French conjugation is the creation of derived forms of a French verb from its principal parts by inflection. French verbs are conventionally divided into three conjugations (conjugaisons) with the following grouping:

The first two groups follow a regular conjugation, whereas the third group follows an irregular one. The third group is considered a closed-class conjugation form,[1] meaning that most new verbs introduced to the French language are of the first group (téléviser, atomiser, radiographier), with the remaining ones being of the second group (alunir).

The verb aller is the only verb ending in -er belonging to the third group.

être is used to form the passive voice. être is itself conjugated according to the tense and mood, and this may require the use of avoir as an additional auxiliary verb, e.g. Il a été mangé (It was eaten).

Compound tenses are conjugated with an auxiliary followed by the past participle, ex: j'ai fait (I did), je suis tombé (I fell). When être is used, the participle is inflected according to the gender and number of the subject. The participle is inflected with the use of the verb avoir according to the direct object, but only if the direct object precedes the participle, ex:

This verb has different stems for different tenses. These are imperfect av-/av/; present subjunctive ai-/ɛ/; future and conditional aur-/oʁ/; simple past and past subjunctive e- (not pronounced: eus, eusse are pronounced as bare inflections /y, ys/). Although the stem changes, the inflections of these tenses are as a regular -oir verb.

In the present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:

This verb has different stems for different tenses. These are all pronounced differently: imperfect ét-/et/; present subjunctive soi-/swa/; future and conditional ser-/səʁ/; simple past and past subjunctive in f-/f/. The inflections of these tenses are as a regular -oir verb (that is, as an -re verb but with the vowel u/y/ in the f- forms). For example, subjunctive soyons, soyez is pronounced with the y sound (/swajɔ̃, swaje/) of other -re and -oir verbs.

In the simple present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:

Être "to be"

Indicative

Subjunctive

Conditional

Imperative

Present

Simple past

Imperfect

Future

Present

Imperfect

Present

Present

je

suis /sɥi/

fus /fy/

étais /etɛ/

serai /səʁe/

sois /swa/

fusse /fys/

serais /səʁɛ/

tu

es /ɛ/

seras /səʁa/

fusses /fys/

sois* /swa/

il/elle/on

est /ɛ/

fut /fy/

était /etɛ/

sera /səʁa/

soit /swa/

fût /fy/

serait /səʁɛ/

nous

sommes /sɔm/

fûmes /fym/

étions /etjɔ̃/

serons /səʁɔ̃/

soyons /swajɔ̃/

fussions /fysjɔ̃/

serions /səʁjɔ̃/

soyons* /swajɔ̃/

vous

êtes /ɛt/

fûtes /fyt/

étiez /etje/

serez /səʁe/

soyez /swaje/

fussiez /fysje/

seriez /səʁje/

soyez* /swaje/

ils/elles

sont /sɔ̃/

furent /fyʁ/

étaient /etɛ/

seront /səʁɔ̃/

soient /swa/

fussent /fys/

seraient /səʁɛ/

* The imperative form uses the subjunctive conjugation.

The non-finite forms use the stem êt-/ɛt/ (before a consonant)/ét-/et/ (before a vowel):

French verbs ending in -er, which comprise the largest class, inflect somewhat differently from other verbs. Between the stem and the inflectional endings that are common across most verbs, there may be a vowel, which in the case of the -er verbs is a silent -e- (in the simple present singular), -é or -ai/e/ (in the past participle and the je form of the simple past), and -a-/a/ (in the rest of simple past singular and in the past subjunctive). In addition, the orthographic -t found in the -ir and -re verbs in the singular of the simple present and past is not found in this conjugation, so that the final consonants are -Ø, -s, -Ø rather than -s, -s, -t.

When the first-person singular present tense form of the indicative or subjunctive is found in inversion, the writer must change the final e to either é (traditional usage) or è (rectified modern usage), in order to link the two words : « Parlè-je ? », /paʁlɛʒ/, "Am I speaking?" (This is a very rare construction, however.)

When the second-person singular form of the imperative is followed by its object y or en, a final s is added: « Parles-en ! », [paʁlzɑ̃], "Talk about it!"

Exceptional verbs:

The verb aller, though it ends in -er is completely irregular and belongs to the third group.

In -cer verbs, the c becomes a ç before endings that start with a or o, to indicate that it is still pronounced /s/ (je déplace - nous déplaçons); similarly, in -ger verbs, the g becomes ge before such endings, to indicate that it is pronounced /ʒ/ (je mange - nous mangeons).

In -oyer and -uyer verbs, the y becomes an i before endings that start with a silent e (nous envoyons - j'envoie); in -ayer verbs, the writer may or may not change the y to an i before such endings (je paye - je paie). Additionally, the future and conditional forms of envoyer start with enverr- rather than envoyer-; and similarly with renvoyer.

In -é.er verbs, the é becomes an è before silent endings, and optionally in the future and conditional tenses.

In -e.er verbs other than most -eler and -eter verbs, the e becomes an è before endings that start with a silent e (including the future and conditional endings). For example: peler (to peel) -> je pèle (present) / je pèlerai (futur) / je pèlerais (conditional).

In most -eler and -eter verbs, the writer must either change the e to an è before endings that start with a silent e, or change the l or t to ll or tt. In the rest of these verbs, only one or the other form is allowed. For example: appeler (to call) -> j'appelle (present) / j'appellerai (futur) / j'appellerais (conditional).

The vowel of the inflections is always -i-, for example -isse in the past subjunctive rather than the -asse of the -er verbs.

A few of the singular inflections themselves change, though this is purely orthographic and does not affect the pronunciation: in the simple present and past, these are -s, -s, -t rather than -Ø, -s, -Ø. (The change in pronunciation is due to the change of vowel from e, ai, a to -i-.)

In the simple present, imperfect, the present subjunctive, and the gerund, a suffix -iss-/is/ appears between the root and the inflectional endings. In the simple present singular, this suffix has disappeared and the endings are -is, -is, -it.

The verb haïr loses its diaeresis in the singular of the simple present tense (the i loses its trema, reflecting the pronunciation of the initial syllable as a single vowel /ɛ/ rather than the hiatus /ai/): je hais, tu hais, il/elle hait but nous haïssons, vous haïssez, ils/elles haïssent/ʒə ɛ, ty ɛ, il ɛ, nu aisɔ̃, vu aise, il ais/. Hais is as usual used for the imperative. In all other forms, the root is /ai/ (imperfect and present & past subjunctive /ais/-, future and conditional /aiʁ/-). Another conjugation is used in Quebec French that keeps the two syllables stem with the hiatus /ai/, and therefore the diaeresis for all the paradigm: J'haïs, tu haïs, il/elle haït, nous haïssons, vous haïssez, ils/elles haïssent. Note that the h of haïr is mute in Quebec French, hence the elision for j'haïs /ʒai/ compared to European French je hais /ʒə.ɛ/.

Most irregular French verbs can be described with seven principal parts. In reality, few if any verbs have separate stems for all seven parts; instead, they tend to "inherit" the same stem as another part. Note that the endings for these verbs are basically the same as for regular -ir verbs; in fact, regular -ir verbs can be fit into this scheme by treating the -iss- variants as different principal parts.

The following table shows how the paradigm of an irregular verb is constructed from its principal parts. Note that a few verbs construct the present indicative (especially the singular) differently.

Paradigm for most irregular verbs (7 principal parts)

Indicative

Subjunctive

Conditional

Imperative

Present

Simple past

Imperfect

Future

Present

Imperfect

Present

Present

je

1S+s

PAST+s

1P+ais

FUT+ai

3P+e

PAST+sse

FUT+ais

tu

FUT+as

3P+es

PAST+sses

(same as pres. indic. 3rd. sg. if ends with vowel, else 2nd. sg.)

il

1S+t1

PAST+t

1P+ait

FUT+a

3P+e

PAST+ˆt

FUT+ait

nous

1P+ons

PAST+ˆmes

1P+ions

FUT+ons

1P+ions

PAST+ssions

FUT+ions

(same as pres. indic. 1st pl.)

vous

1P+ez

PAST+ˆtes

1P+iez

FUT+ez

1P+iez

PAST+ssiez

FUT+iez

(same as pres. indic. 2nd pl.)

ils

3P+ent

PAST+rent

1P+aient

FUT+ont

3P+ent

PAST+ssent

FUT+aient

1 The -t is regularly dropped when directly following a d or t (e.g. il vend "he sells", not *il vendt).

Non-finite forms:

Infinitive: (full infinitive, with suffix)

Present participle: 1P-ant

Gerundive: en 1P-ant

Verbal adjective: 1P-ant(e)(s)

Past participle: PP(e)(s)

The following table gives principal parts for a number of irregular verbs. There are a number of fair-sized groups of verbs that are conjugated alike; these are listed first. There are some additional irregularities in the present indicative, which are listed below. Nearly all irregularities affect the singular, and are purely issues of spelling. (Stems that are irregular in the sense of being unpredictable by the above rules are given in boldface.)

Nine verbs also have an irregular subjunctive stem, used at least for the singular and third plural of the present subjunctive. These verbs can be said to have 11 principal parts, because the subjunctive stem may or may not be used for the first and second plural present subjunctive, the imperative and/or the present participle, in ways that vary from verb to verb.

The following table shows how the paradigm of an 11-principal-part irregular verb is constructed from its principal parts. Note that these verbs are generally the most irregular verbs in French, and many of them construct the present indicative (especially the singular) in an idiosyncratic fashion. The verb aller also constructs its past participle and simple past differently, according to the endings for -er verbs.

Paradigm for the highly irregular verbs (11 principal parts)

Indicative

Subjunctive

Conditional

Imperative

Present

Simple past

Imperfect

Future

Present

Imperfect

Present

Present

je

1S+s

PAST+s

1P+ais

FUT+ai

SUBJ+e

PAST+sse

FUT+ais

tu

1S+s

PAST+s

1P+ais

FUT+as

SUBJ+es

PAST+sses

FUT+ais

(same as pres. indic. 2nd. sg.; but use 3rd. sg. if ends with vowel) orSUBJ+e

il

1S+t

PAST+t

1P+ait

FUT+a

SUBJ+e

PAST+ˆt

FUT+ait

nous

1P+ons

PAST+ˆmes

1P+ions

FUT+ons

SUBJ+ions or1P+ions

PAST+ssions

FUT+ions

(same as pres. indic. 1st pl.) orSUBJ+ons

vous

1P+ez

PAST+ˆtes

1P+iez

FUT+ez

SUBJ+iez or1P+iez

PAST+ssiez

FUT+iez

(same as pres. indic. 2nd pl.) orSUBJ+ez

ils

3P+ent

PAST+rent

1P+aient

FUT+ont

SUBJ+ent

PAST+ssent

FUT+aient

Non-finite forms:

Infinitive: (full infinitive, with suffix)

Present participle: 1P-ant orSUBJ-ant

Gerundive: en 1P-ant or en SUBJ-ant

Verbal adjective: 1P-ant(e)(s) orSUBJ-ant(e)(s)

Past participle: PP(e)(s)

The following table gives the principal parts for the 11-principal-part verbs. (Stems that are irregular in the sense of being unpredictable by the above rules are given in boldface.)

Table of principal parts of the highly irregular French verbs (11 principal parts)

INF: Infinitive

Meaning

FUT: Future

Present Indicative

Present Subjunctive

Imperative

Present Participle

PP: Past Participle

PAST: Simple Past

Notes

Similar verbs

1S: 1st Sing (2nd Sing, 3rd Sing)

1P: 1st Plur (2nd Plur)

3P: 3rd Plur

SUBJ:1st Sing

1st Plur

pouv-oir

"to be able"

pourr-ai

peux/puis, peux, peut

pouv-ons

peuv-ent

puiss-e

follows subj. (puiss-ions)

follows indic.

follows 1P(pouv-ant)

pu

pu-s (reg.)

alternate 1st sing. puis required in questions, use elsewhere is mannered; note that old pres. part. puiss-ant is attested as an adjective "powerful"

The verb aller means "to go" and is sufficiently irregular that it merits listing its conjugation in full. It is the only verb with the first group ending "er" to have an irregular conjugation. It belongs to none of the three sections of the third group, and is often categorized on its own. The verb has different stems for different tenses. These are all pronounced differently: past all-/al/ (simple past, imperfect, past subjunctive); present subjunctive aill-/aj/; conditional and future ir-/iʁ/. The inflections of these tenses are completely regular, and pronounced as in any other -er verb. However, in the simple present, not only are there stem changes, but the inflections are irregular as well:

Aller "to go"

Indicative

Subjunctive

Conditional

Imperative

Present

Simple past

Imperfect

Future

Present

Imperfect

Present

Present

je

vais, vas1/vɛ/, /va/

allai /ale/

allais /alɛ/

irai /iʁe/

aille /aj/

allasse /alas/

irais /iʁɛ/

tu

vas /va/

allas

allais

iras

ailles

allasses

irais

va

il/elle/on

va /va/

alla

allait

ira

aille

allât

irait

nous

allons /alɔ̃/

allâmes

allions

irons

allions

allassions

irions

allons

vous

allez /ale/

allâtes

alliez

irez

alliez

allassiez

iriez

allez

ils/elles

vont /vɔ̃/

allèrent

allaient

iront

aillent

allassent

iraient

The non-finite forms are all based on all-/al/:

Infinitive: aller

Present participle: allant

Gerundive: en allant

Verbal adjective: allant(e)(s)

Past participle: allé(e)(s)

Auxiliary verb: être

1 In Classical French and even in certain dialects (like in Cajun and some Quebec dialects) je vas is used.

1. In an interrogative sentence, the final e is written é (traditional spelling) or è (rectified spelling), and is pronounced as an open è[ɛ]. Additionally, the e in je becomes silent. For example: je marche /ʒə.maʁʃ/ (I walk), marchè-je? /maʁʃɛʒ/ (do I walk?)

4. Verbs in -dre have a final d for the 3rd singular person, except for those ending in -indre and -soudre which take a final t. The verbs vaincre (defeat) and convaincre (convince) are conjugated as vainc and convainc, respectively, in 3rd singular person.

The first-person plural ending -ons, as well as the nominative first-person plural pronoun nous ("we"), is rarely used in modern spoken French (use of object nous ("us"), however, remains widespread).[2] The pronoun on, which can also serve as the impersonal pronoun and uses the third-person singular form of the verb, is widely used instead. For example, nous chantons ("we sing" or "we are singing"), is likely to be replaced by on chante in almost all contexts except in very careful language. This almost leads to a loss of a verb form in Modern French. However, the verb ending -ons can still be found in the imperative: Chantons ! ("Let's sing!"), which can also be replaced in some contexts by On chante !